Willis McGahee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Willis McGahee

McGahee with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009
No. 21, 23, 26
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1981-10-21) October 21, 1981 (age 43) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	Miami Central (West Little River, Florida)
College:	Miami (FL) (2000–2002)
NFL Draft:	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Career history
Buffalo Bills (2003–2006) Baltimore Ravens (2007–2010) Denver Broncos (2011–2012) Cleveland Browns (2013)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2007, 2011) BCS national champion (2001) Big East Offensive Player of the Year (2002) Consensus All-American (2002) First-team All-Big East (2002)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 2,095 Rushing yards: 8,474 Rushing touchdowns: 65 Receptions: 210 Receiving yards: 1,339 Receiving touchdowns: 5
Player stats at PFR

Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former professional football player. He was a talented running back who played for several teams in the NFL. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was even named an All-American, which means he was one of the best college players in the country.

McGahee was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Besides the Bills, he also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. In 2015, he joined the Miami Surge, a team in the National Pro Grid League.

Early Life and High School Years

Willis McGahee was born in Miami, Florida. He went to Miami Springs High School for three years. Later, he transferred to Miami Central High School for his senior year.

College Football Career

Willis McGahee earned a sports scholarship to the University of Miami. He played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 2000 to 2002. During the 2002 season, McGahee set several new records for his school. He carried the ball 282 times for 1,753 yards. He also scored 28 touchdowns, which was a huge achievement!

He had ten games where he ran for over 100 yards. This broke the Hurricanes' previous record. In 2002, he gained a total of 2,108 yards from running and catching the ball. This is still a record for the Hurricanes team.

McGahee was part of the University of Miami team that won the National Championship in 2001. They beat Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl.

In 2002, McGahee and his teammates had a perfect regular season. They were ranked #1 and played in the National Championship game against Ohio State. After this amazing season, he was named a first-team All-Big East player. He was also recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He was even a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, an award for the best college football player.

During the 2003 Fiesta Bowl National Championship Game, McGahee got a serious knee injury. He tore several important ligaments in his left knee. Even with this injury, he had already rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown in the game. Miami ended up losing the game in overtime. This injury needed many surgeries and a lot of recovery time. Despite the injury, McGahee decided to enter the 2003 NFL Draft.

By the end of his college career, he had rushed for 2,067 yards and 31 touchdowns.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Before his knee injury, experts thought McGahee would be one of the top five players picked in the NFL Draft. After the injury, they thought he might be picked much later because of the long recovery he faced.

Buffalo Bills

2003 Season

Willis McGahee missed his entire first NFL season in 2003. This was because he was still recovering from his serious knee injury.

2004 Season

McGahee made his NFL debut in 2004. He started playing in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 6, he became the starting running back. He ran for 111 yards in a win against the Miami Dolphins. In Week 8, he scored his first two professional touchdowns. Later in the season, he had a game with 116 rushing yards and four touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the 2004 season with 1,128 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He was even named the Comeback Player of the Year!

2005 Season

McGahee started the 2005 season strong. He had 117 rushing yards in the first game against the Houston Texans. He continued to have great games, including 140 yards against the Atlanta Falcons. He also ran for 143 yards against the New York Jets. By the end of 2005, McGahee had rushed for 1,247 yards and five touchdowns.

2006 Season

In 2006, McGahee had another good season. He ran for 150 yards against the New York Jets in Week 3. He also scored two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 14, he had 125 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Jets. He finished the 2006 season with 990 rushing yards and six touchdowns. After this season, the Bills traded McGahee to the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens

2007 Season

McGahee joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2007. He quickly became their main running back. In his first season with Baltimore, he rushed for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught his first career receiving touchdown. McGahee was chosen for his first Pro Bowl in 2007. He had five games where he ran for over 100 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown in seven straight games!

2008 Season

In 2008, McGahee was supposed to be the starting running back again. However, he had several injuries, including problems with his eye, shoulder, knee, and ankle. Even with these injuries, he still rushed for 671 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a career-long 77-yard touchdown run against the Dallas Cowboys. He played a key role in the Ravens making it to the playoffs.

McGahee played in his first career playoff games in 2008. He was very important in wins against the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans. In the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he scored two touchdowns. He was later taken off the field after a hard hit, but doctors found no serious injury.

McGahee signing autographs at Andrews Air Force Base, 2007

2009 Season

McGahee worked hard in the 2009 offseason to get even better. The Ravens decided to start Ray Rice at running back, but McGahee still played an important role. He became the team's top scorer with 14 touchdowns! He had 12 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. In Week 2, he scored two rushing and two receiving touchdowns in one game against the San Diego Chargers. He also had two rushing touchdowns in Week 3 and Week 14. He finished the season tied for second most touchdowns in the league. In the last game of the season, he had his best career game with 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game.

2010 Season

McGahee chose to stay with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. He played in 15 games. He rushed for 380 yards and five touchdowns. He also had one receiving touchdown. In a playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, McGahee scored a 25-yard touchdown run. This helped seal the win for the Ravens. The Ravens released McGahee in 2011. In his four seasons with the Ravens, he gained over 3,300 total yards and scored 35 touchdowns.

Denver Broncos

McGahee with the Denver Broncos, 2012

2011 Season

In 2011, McGahee signed a four-year deal with the Denver Broncos. He became the main running back after an injury to another player. In Week 2, he rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown. He had several other games with over 100 rushing yards. In Week 8, he ran for 163 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown! He was named a team captain in November 2011. He continued to play well, helping the Broncos win games. In Week 16, he reached over 1,000 rushing yards for the season. In January 2012, McGahee was added to the 2012 Pro Bowl Roster.

2012 Season

McGahee started the 2012 season as the Broncos' top running back. He played well, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. In Week 2, he rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons. He also scored touchdowns in other games. However, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11. He tore a ligament and had a fracture in his right knee. He finished the 2012 season with 731 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos later released McGahee in June 2013.

Cleveland Browns

After the Cleveland Browns traded their main running back, they brought in McGahee to replace him. He joined the team in 2013. In the 2013 season, McGahee played in 12 games. He rushed for 377 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns.

NFL Career Statistics